EOS 450D/Rebel XSi

Looks like a great little camera. Evolutionary, for sure, but strong where it matters. It seems that framerate, physical size, and buffer depth are the last bastions of model differentiation.

[[i the the K20D's feature set leaves the 5D for dead]]

 

I do not agree. But as I don't own either, my opinion is not really worth much.

Canon 1Ds Mark III or Canon 1D Mark III vs Nikon D3, Canon 40D vs Nikon D300, Canon 5D may be old but still in a league of its own. I don't see any reason why Canon is in a hurry to upgrade it.

I don't own either either so my opnions don't matter either. But weather sealed, RAW button, in-body IS, ISO 6400, live view, programmable ISO priority modes, etc and half the price of the 5D ticks my boxes.

This thing has a Pentamirror viewfinder with 95% coverage and 87% magnification, compared to the 400D whch had 95% coverage but only 80% magnification.

 

Is there any easy way to understand what this means in practice? ie other than through comparing the two side by side.

when do you think we can buy it...

Thank God no new 5d! Let the moaning from the technowhores commence! "If it ain't broke don't fix it."

Jeret,

 

http://www.dcresource.com/ says April.

 

Geoff,

 

[[but weather sealed, RAW button, in-body IS, ISO 6400, live view, programmable ISO priority modes, etc and half the price of the 5D ticks my boxes]]

 

Indeed these are welcome features. But I really have to wonder if there is a market segment of more than a handful of people that are choosing between the K20D and the 5D. I guess I just see them as two different camera lines serving two different segments...but I have a habit of being wrong about these sorts of things.

At these lens prices ($5999, $11999) I don't think I'll be buying anything yet:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-9206-9236

I agree I don't think the 5D faces much competition, but one could argue that goes for most mid-level cameras such as the Nikon 300D, Canon 40D, or Pentax 20D. People that buy these things are probably already locked into a system by previous lens purchases.

 

However, it doesn't make me feel happy to think that Canon are resting on their laurels in the 5D segment just because they can.

 

I think a previous poster mentioned given Canon's superiority in electronics they could offer a lot more than the others, but choose not to.

 

The thing about the camera market is it takes along time to build market share and a long time to lose it again. Canon has gone from being an innovator over the decades with things like USM, IS, ECF, CMOS, the 300D to a follower, putting in live view, dust busting, ISO priority, still no weather sealing, etc only after the competition had already done it. I think their new-found conservatism is gradually losing them market share.

"At these lens prices ($5999, $11999) I don't think I'll be buying anything yet: http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-9206-9236"

 

gotta love the press release: "The development of these two new lenses continues to show how Canon actively responds to the imaging needs of our professional and advanced amateur customers."

 

So which advanced amatuer customers are buying these babies?

PMA hasn't even started. Maybe just maybe canon will release an even bigger and better digital EOS 3.

I think I just answered my own question. The orginal 300D had a viewfinder with 95% coverage and 88% magnification, so the 450D viewfinder will be about the same as the old 300D. Guess its back to the future on that one.

Can it still use the BG-E3 batt grip?

Not sure, but the picture on DCresource shows a new grip the BG-E5, probably because of the new battery, it's bigger.

>>"PMA hasn't even started. Maybe just maybe canon will release an even bigger and better digital EOS 3."

 

There's a chance that the XSi 450D is an pre-PMA 2008 "appetizer" just like the Sony A200 announced at CES 2008 (As Sony may announce the A300, A350, and/or A900 at PMA).

 

So far all of the Canon announcements for the PMA have been predictable ones or insignificant ones. They are either products from series that had been updated on a scheduled basis (450D) and/or consumer products (point-and-shoots) with rather short "lifespans" in the market.

 

That interview of Canon's CEO clearly stated a replacement for the "mid-range 5D w/ more megapixle counts", while the Robert Westin (VP of Canon Sweden) said that there will be "more photographic/imaging products in 2008 than 2007, and there will be surprises.

 

leaving the original 5D in the market to age to become 3 years old when or before its replacement finally arrives would be seen a suicidal move from a marketing prospective. Although the personal views of some of Canon's customers, including many original 5D owners/lovers says otherwise.

 

Let's just wait and see what happens in the next 2 weeks.

So which advanced amatuer customers are buying these babies?

 

The rich ones.

it is definitely going to put a dent in 40d sales unless they drop the price quite a bit in actual practice...

For those that have not seen the new 18-55 IS actually tests sharper than the 17-85 so that is a big move since the other kit lens was garbage...

The word had been out for a while that No new 5D was coming and not so sound like "i told you so" but i said that 3 months ago citing the cannabilizing of 1dS3 sales if it came so quick and with the 1ds3 nearly impossible to get that concept just about doubled....

if anything i would have expected the "7D" - 5D sensor in 40D clothes with those upgrades for the same price as current 5d as a d300 crusher but it seems we got nothing in terms of full frame...

Now I just have to wait and see if they will drop the price on the 40D any more before I decide which of these little cams will be my spare to my 1dII

I can't understand why they changed memory format.

Yes, SD is plentiful and cheap.

But, what about the people who buy the cheaper DSLR's for a backup camera? Now they either need to buy an older model XT/XTi or a x0D Camera. (Unless your main camera is a 1Ds with both memory formats.)

 

Maybe in the long run it would make sence.

 

mars c, I doubt it can use the old grip because it uses an all new battery...

 

-Mario

Hello Mario,

 

Just think about it this way , As a consulation. Your old CF card might be nearing it's expiration date already, And who knows when it will expire. So buying new cards is'nt totally a loss. :)

mars c, Actually I have a 20D and most (4 of my 6) of my CF's are brand new.

 

I can't see going to a Rebel Model unless my 20D broke and I was strapped for cash.

 

I would than be forced into either buying a XTi or XSi and replace all my memory cards.

 

But, if I ever went to a 5D or its successor (Probably will be CF as well) and wanted a backup, a XSi would be out of the question...

 

-Mario

you can get a 8gb extreme 3 sd for 80 bucks...

that is really the least of my issues. Are you all really saying that you don't own a p/s that uses sd?

 

The bigger issue to me is why again they have decided to jump the xxd in mp (yes i know there is far more than mp to IQ but still...) and why they can't set the price at closer to 7 for the kit...

at 850 it's too close to a 40D for me...

Yes, I do have a Canon P&S Camera.

 

And it uses CF Cards... :)

 

-Mario

Mario, what market do you think is bigger?

1) People who have a larger SLR using CF cards and want a DRebel as a backup.

2) People who have a P&S using SD cards and are moving up to an SLR.

 

#2 is a lot more people, and that's why they switched. They are going to cater to the intended

market, and it makes perfect sense to do so.

Jonny Mac, perhaps #2 is the case, but anyone I know who has a point and shoot camera only has one SD card, maybe 2 and it's of the 512mb or 1GB variety.

 

That won't get you too far in the XSi especially if you're shooting RAW or JPG fine.

 

I guess there is a market for both.

 

But, someone who let's say uses a 20D, 30D or 40D for their main camera, may use a Rebel XT/XTi as a backup.

 

If you can afford a 1Ds MKII that has both CF and SD, I'm guessing you can afford a 40D as a backup.

 

Again, these are just my opinions.

Having so many CF cards, I would be hard pressed to buy the XSi unless I couldn't afford to replace my 20D with a 40D.

Obviously I could sell the CF's and my P&S that uses CF and upgrade both to use a camera with SD.

 

Also, I don't have big hands, so the 20D feels slightly large in my hands. But, I like the features of it over the RebelXT.

 

-Mario